Millions of children each year are exposed to the risk of serious facial injury while playing some form of baseball or softball, whether participating in organized leagues or non-league play. In 1995, for example, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued Release #96-140 which reported 35,200 facial injuries due to ball impact which were serious enough to require emergency room treatment. Only 10% of these injuries occurred while the player was at bat. The player is at risk whether playing infield, outfield, pitching or at bat. Such injuries typically range from minor injuries, such as split lips and black eyes, to more serious injuries, such as broken teeth and fractures (noses, jaws or cheek bones) to very serious injuries, such as concussions, blinding or brain damage.
A batting helmet alone provides little protection for the face. Mask/batting helmet combinations provide excellent protection while the player is at bat, but these and other existing protective masks, such as catchers' masks and hockey goalie masks, are unsuited for use by a player in a fielding position.
To provide effective facial protection, a protective mask should be light weight and comfortable. Otherwise, children will not wear it. The mask should provide extensive coverage over all vulnerable areas of the face, including the forehead, temples, cheeks and upper jaw, lower jaw, chin, mouth, nose, eyes and neck. The mask should not, however, block or inhibit a player's vision, which is essential for batting or fielding. Adequate padding should be strategically positioned on the mask to help fit the mask to the player's face and absorb the energy of impact of a ball. The mask should also be designed to minimize the transfer of momentum from the ball to the player's face or head, thus, minimizing the trauma. It is also desirable that the mask be well ventilated and not interfere with a player's ability to speak or see.
The protective masks generally available fail to meet the criteria listed above and are, consequently, not in widespread use in youth baseball leagues or other sports, thus, permitting an unacceptably large number of facial injuries to occur to children every year due to baseball related mishaps.